Better Incubation Contest | Scaling impact for climate tech startups

Are you an entrepreneur with an innovative solution to a social or environmental challenge? You are ready to scale, nationally or internationally? Join the Better Incubation Contest to grow your impact with a wide community of business intermediaries, investors and other entrepreneurs.

About the contest

Organised by the European Business and Innovation Centre Network (EBN), Impact Hub and the European Venture Philanthropy Association (EVPA), the Better Incubation Contest 2022 | Scaling Impact aims at selecting the 3 most scalable solutions to social and environmental challenges developed by impact ventures led or founded by entrepreneurs belonging to one of the Better Incubation target groups: women, seniors, people with disabilities, migrants and refugees, youth.

We are looking for:

• Innovative ventures with a clear social and/or environmental mission founded/co-founded and/or led /co-led by entrepreneurs representing one (or more) of the target groups Better Incubation programme focuses on:  women, migrants or refugees, youth, seniors and people with disabilities.
• Entrepreneurs addressing one or more Sustainable Development Goals and who are willing to explore growing and scaling their innovative solution either nationally or internationally with the support of Better Incubation network of networks: a unique community of EU|BICs (quality-certified business innovation centres), Impact Hubs and Investors for Impact committed to supporting innovative impact ventures in Europe and beyond. 

Three selected entrepreneurs will be matched with incubation experts that will accompany their scaling trajectory through remote coaching and mentoring sessions; will benefit from a full immersion week at an EU|BIC located in the targeted destination area; and will pitch their solution to an investors panel during the Better Incubation final event that will be held in Brussels on December 2nd, 2022.

The Better Incubation scaling support has a value of approximately €7.000, this includes 15 hours of coaching, a 1-week incubation programme, travel and accommodation costs to attend the Better Incubation events and the incubation programme in the targeted destination.

Visit the Contest page for more information.

Why join?

The Better Incubation scaling support is aimed at helping the three finalists:

• Articulate the social value proposition, identifying why and how the proposed solution addresses unmet needs in the chosen location.
• Access to appropriate sector and local experts.
• Assess the team competencies and consider how their business model will adapt to the new environment.
• Understand investors’ perspective so they can develop a pitch for the Better Incubation final conference in Brussels and for potential partners in the targeted destination.

The Better Incubation Contest 2022 | Scaling Impact offers to the winners:

• Networking: Three best finalists will be exposed to a wide network of BSOs (EBN, IHUB) and investors (EVPA) interested in supporting impact-driven ventures during the Better Incubation events that will take place in Slovenia, on 19-20 October 2022 and Better Incubation Final Conference on 2 December 2022.
• Mentoring & Coaching: Three best finalists will have access to a virtual 1:1 coaching programme provided by EVPA and Impact Hub experts (15 hours in total).
• Scaling – full immersion week: Three best finalists will be also eligible for one-week physical incubation provided by an EBN member – a business support organisation in the target country. If interested, the winners can join the 2022 EBN Techcamp powered by Better Incubation (19-20 October 2022 – Sežana, Slovenia), where they can meet the incubators that will host them in the targeted country.
• Pitching: The three finalists will be given an opportunity to present their business ideas at the Final Conference of the Better Incubation Project to be held in Brussels, 2 December 2022 within the EVPA Impact Week.
• Publicity: The three finalists will receive mentions in the Better Incubation and partner networks, including press releases, posts and social media.

Call application

The call opens on June 21st, 2022, and closes on August 22nd, 2022 (23.59 CET). 

APPLY NOW

About Better Incubation

Better Incubation is a 2-year programme (2021 – 2022) funded by the European Union Programme for Employment and Social Innovation. The aim of Better Incubation is to foster inclusive and social entrepreneurship in Europe by mobilising and empowering Business Support Organisations (BSOs) to effectively help the social enterprises and potential entrepreneurs from the so-called underrepresented groups to grow their businesses.

Read more here.